Inseam sewing machine



my s, wm.

L. E. TOPHAM INSEAM SEWING MACHINE Filed Nov. 27 1916 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 July s, 1924.

L.. E. TOPHAM.

INSEAM SEWING MACHINE Filed Nov. 2'7 1916 3 Sheets-Sheet '2 my s, wm.

. L.. E. TOPHAM INSEAM SEWING MACHINE Filed .NOv- 27. 1916 s sheets-sneer Inv@ Patented July 8, 1924.

LAURENCE E.` TO'PHAM, 0F SWAMPSCOTT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CORPORATION, 0F PATERSON, NEW\ JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F NEIT JERSEY.

INSEAM SEIVING MACHINE.

Application filed November 27, 1916. Serial No. 133,614.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, LAURENCE E. TOPHAM, Va citizen of the United States, residing at Swampscott, in the county of Essex and State of hlassachusetta'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Inseam Sewing Machines and I do hereby declare the following toV be a fullclear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to chain stitch inseam sewing machines which employ curved hook needles, and which are used in sewing the inseams of turned or welted shoes.

After an inseam has been sewed on a machine of the above class, the last loop of thread drawn through the shoe by the needle must be freed from the needle hook and the needle must be brought torest out of engagement with the work before the shoe can be removed from the machine. The object of the present invention is to provide a novel and efficient means for automatically performing these operations as vthe machine is stopped.

'Io this end the invention contemplates the provision of means acting agitomatically as the machine is stopped to bring the needle to rest out of engagement with the work at the end of the last cycle of operations, and to so modify the movement of the needle during this cycle that the thread will .not be laid in the needle hook by the looper. With the movement of the needle thus modified during the last cycle of operations, the last loop of thread will be drawn through the work by the needle during the preceding cycle, and this loop will be freed from the needle hook by the advance of the needle during the last cycle, since the needle will be retracted with` its hook empty, andY will not draw any loop during the last cycle. The invention contemplates modifying the normal movement of the needle in any manner which will prevent the laying'of the thread in its hook by the looper. It ispreferred, however, to prevent the laying of the thread in the needle hook by shortening the forward movement of the needle during the last cycle of operationsw rIhe invention will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings, Vand the following detailed description of the mechanisms illustrated therein.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing an inseam sewing machine embodying the invention in its preferred form; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on a larger scale, showing so much of the machine as is necessary to illustrate the application of the present invention thereto; Fig. 3 is a detail view indicating the action of the needle actuating mechanism during the last cycleyand Fig. 4 is a detail rear elevation showing the mechanism for modifying the movement of the needle.

i In the drawings the invention is shown as embodied in a welt sewing machine having the general construction and mode of operation of the machine shown and described in the patent to Eppler, No. 1,108,560, dated August 25, 1914. Referring to Fig. 2, the curvedfhook needle of the machine is indicated at 2, the looper at 4, the thread arm at 6, the welt guide at 8, the back rest or bump er at 10, the thread tension device at 12, and the cam shaft at 14. During the operation of t-he machine the cam shaft is driven continuously by a belt 16 passing over a pulley 18 on the cam shaft, and over a pulley 2O secured to a shaft 22 in the machine base. The shaft 22 is connected by bevel gears 24 to a sleeve mounted on the power shaft 26 of the machine and provided with one member 28 of a friction clutch. The other member 30 of the clutch is splined on the shaft 26 so as to rotate therewith, and is acted upon by a spring32, the tendency of which is to separate the clutch members. The clutch member 30 is arranged to be acted upon by a wedge 34 which is connected to a foot treadle' 36, the arrangement being such that by means of the foot treadle and wedge the speed off the machine may be regulated by varying the pressure on the treadle, or may be disconnected from the driving power by release of the treadle.`

`When the treadle 36 is released to stop the machine, stopping mechanism, which is similar in construction to that shown and described in the patent to Topham, No.

1,191,747, dated July 18, 1916, acts to concam shaft, as the machine is stopped, theV needle advances and casts off the loop of. thread drawn through the work, and is then retracted with its hook empty, and is brought to rest out of engagement with the work, and

where it will not interfere with theready removal of the shoe.

The stopping mechanism, as indicated in the drawings, comprises a continuously ro` tating clutch member 38 loosely mounted on the cam shaft and co-operating with a clutch member 4() connected to rotate with the cam shaft and movable thereon toward and from the clutch member 38. To cause the clutch member 40 to be moved into and out of engagement with the clutch member 38, the hub of the member 40 is provided with a cam groove which is engaged by a roll on one end of a bell crank lever 42 pivotally mounted on the frameof the machine. The

other end of the bell crank lever is provided with a hole 44 adapted to receive a locking bolt 46. The bolt is mounted in the end ofa spring-pressed slide 48, and is nor* mally held out of engagement with Vthe bell crank lever by the treadle 36, with which the bolt is connected, by a rod 50, the upper end of which is connected to a latch lever 52 pivoted to the lower end ofthe loc-king bolt and arranged to bear against the slide 48. While the treadle is depressed and the machine is in operation, the latch 52 is held against the end of the slide 48 below the shoulder 54, and the locking pin 46 is held out of engagement with the bell crank lever 42 against the tension of the spring 56, as indicated in Fig. 2. The bell crank lever will therefore be oscillated idly by the cam groove in the clutch member 40, and the clutch members will remain out of engagement. When the treadle is released to stop the machine the latch 52 will engage the shoulder 54 and prevent upward movement of the locking bolt until the treadle has moved yupward sufficiently toenable the bolt to snap into the hole 44 in the bell crank lever 42 when this hole registers with the locking pin. When this occurs, the continued forward rotation of the cam shaft under momentum causes the cam groove in the clutch member 40 to force the clutch members into engagement, so that the cam shaft is slowed' down to the speed of the clutch member 38, and is then driven formechanism ward at its reduced speed until the cam groove acting on the bell crank lever moves the clutch member 40 out of engagement with the clutch member 88. This occurs, and the machine lis brought to rest, as the needle reaches its retracted position.

In the construction shown, the vupward movement of the locking bolt 46 as it-enters the hole in the clutch operating lever 42, is utilized to control and time the throwing into operation of the mechanism which modifles the movement of vthe needle during the last forward rotation of the cam shaft. As shown, the needleactuating lever 58 through which motion is transmitted Yfrom the cam' is mounted to turn in fixed bearings -so that the motion transmitted through'the lever 58 tothe needle may be modified or varied by rocking the shaft and thus shifting the bearing about which the lever oscillates. During the sewing the shaft is held in the normal position indicated in Fig. 2, .and when in this positionthe needle isreciprocated inV the usual manner, and is advanced intoposition for the looper to lay the thread inthe needle hook as indicated in Fig. 2. VThe shaft 66 is held normally in this position by a spring 68` which acts upon a rod 70 con nected to a lever 72 which is secured to the shaft and is held by the springrin engagementV with anV Vadjustable stop screw 74 mounted in an arm which projects from the fixed'bearing of the shaft. The means for rocking the shaft to vary the movement imparted to the needleiby the cam, 60 comprises a lever 76 loosely mounted on the shaft, and provided atone end with a roll 7 8 which engages a grooved cam 80 secured tothe cam shaft. The rear end of the lever Vis provided with a substantially verticalparm 82 having a slot 84 in its upper end which is adapted to be engaged by a coupling dog 86 carried by the lever 72 which is fast on the shaft 66..l The coupling dog 86 is in the formof a lever pivoted to the lever 72 and is forced in a direction to engage its upper end with the notch 84 by a leaf spring 88. The lower end of thedog lever is provided with an eye `9() through which the treadle rodY O'passes, and the rod carries a collar 92 which is arranged to engage the leverand hold the coupling dog out of action when the treadle is depressed, as indicated in Fig. 4. .'Vhen` the treadle is depressed and the machine is running, the coupling dog 86 will be held out of action by the collar 92, and the lever 764 willbe oscillatedidly by the cam `86. Then the treadle is released in stopping the machine, and the locking bolt 46 moves upward to engage the clutch shifting lever 42, the coupling dog 86 will be released and rendered active so that it will enter the notch 84 and will connect the lever 76 with the rock shaft 66. During the last revolution ofthe cam shaft, therefore, the rock shaft will be rocked prior to or during the advance movement of the needle from the position indicated in Fig. 2 to the posi-` tion indicated in Fig. 3, thus shifting the bearing or fulcrum 64 about which the needle actuating lever 58 swings into such position that the needle will not be advanced by the cam 60`suflic-ientlyY to bring into' position for the looper Vto lay the thread in the needle hook. The hook of the needle will therefore be empty during its return movement, and will be free of the thread when it comes to rest in its retracted position. Vhen the treadle is again depressed to start the machine, the coupling dog 86 is disengaged from the slot 84, thus disconnecting the lever 76 from the shaft 66, so 'that the normal operation of the needle actuating mechanism is resumed.

When the machine is stopped, and the needle freed from the thread, the tension on the thread should be released, and it is preferred to utilize the movement of the rock shaft 66 in securing this result. For this purpose, the rod 70 is arranged to pass through a hole 94E in the free end of the brake lever 96 ofthe tension device, and the rod is provided with an adjustable collar 98 arranged to engage and operate the lever to release the tension when the shaft 66 is rocked to vary the movement imparted to the needle during the last cycle.

While it is preferred to employ the specie construction and arrangement of parts shown and described in embodying the invention in the machine of the patent above referred to, it will be understood that this construction and arrangement is not essential, but may be varied or modified as found desirable or best suited to the construction and arrangement of the parts and mechanisms of the .machine in which it is to be embodied.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and specifically described one form of machine in which it may be embodied, what it claimed is l. A sewing machine having, in combination, a hook needle, a looper for laying a loop of thread on the needle, actuating mechanism for the needle, and mechanism actuated from the needle actuating mechanism for modifying the mot-ion transmitted to the needle by its actuating mechanism during the last stitch cycle to cause the needle to miss the loop.

2. A sewing machine having, in combination, a hook needle, a looper for laying a loop of thread on the needle, actuating mechanism for the needle, and mechanism actuated from the needle actuating mechanism and rendered active in stopping the machine for modifying the motion transmitted to the needle during the last stitch` changing said connections to give the needle an abnormal stroke so that it will not come to loop receiving position and will carry no loop in final retracted posit-ion, and means for rendering said mechanism active in the final stitch cycle to cause the needle to miss the loop during this cycle.

4. A sewing machine having, in combination, a hook needle, a shaft, connections from the shaft for oscillating the needle, a stopping mechanism for stopping the shaft with the needle retracted, and mechanism operated from said shaft for changing said connections to give ythe needle a shortened stroke in the final stitch cycle whereby it will not come to loop receiving position and will carry no loop in final retracted position.

5. A sewing machine having, in combination, a hook needle, a cam shaft, connections from -the shaft for oscillating the needle, mechanism operated from said shaft for changing said connections to give the needle an abnormal stroke, and means for rendering said mechanism active in the final stitch cycle.

6. A sewing machine having, in combination, a hook needle, a shaft, connections from the shaft for oscillating the needle, a stopping mechanism for stopping the shaft with the needle retracted, mechanism operated from said shaft for changing said connections to short stroke, and means for controlling said latter mechanism from the stop mechanism.

7. A sewing machine having, in combination, a hook needle, a shaft, mechanism actuated by said shaft for giving the needle in each stitch cycle a normal advance and return stroke, mechanism for laying a thread loop on the needle, a stopping mechanism for stopping the machine with the needle retracted, mechanism operated from said shaft for changing the needle advancing stroke to avoid taking the loop, and means for rendering said active during the final stitch cycle.

give the needle an abnormally l?? latter mechanism l 8. A sewing machine having, in combination, a shaft, a needle, mechanism actuated from said shaft for reciprocating the needle uniformly cycle after cycle through a normal stroke,

means operative during a cycle for rendering the needle stroke abnormal 75 in that cycle, and a cam moving in time with the shaft for actuating said means.

9. A sewing machine having, in combination, a hook needle, a shaft, connections from the shaft for oscillating the needle, A

mechanism actuated from :the shaft iol* cliangiiigpsaid connectionsito.- give-the needle Van abnormal stroke, a stop mechanism foi'V l 10. Asewingmacliineliaving,incombination, La hook needle, a loopei' I'for laying a loopof thread on the needle, a shaft, connections for actuating the needle -iom the shat,a cam onfthefshafa lever operated by the cam, means normally disconnected from Vthe levei for modifying the needle actuating connections to canse :the fneedle tioii,.a stitchv forming mechanism including a hook needle andloopei", an actuating shaft foi-the stitch forming mechanism, normally inactive mechanism for-modifying the movement of the needle dnringastitch cycleto miss the loop, a cam `'moving in time with said shaft for actuating Vsind mechanism,

and means for (rendering. said mechanismV active inV the jfinal stitch cycle.

LAURENCE TOPHAM; 

